NBA scout to UK's Harrison twins: Go back

Kentucky coach John Calipari talks to guards Andrew Harrison (5) and Aaron Harrison (2) during the Final Four game against Wisconsin.(Photo: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports)

As the NBA's April 27 early-entry deadline approaches, the basketball world is focused on Kentucky. The Wildcats will be good next season regardless, but two looming decisions — and they can be condensed into one — could dictate whether UK is wow-look-out elite.

Although there is a glut of frontcourt talent, the backcourt is not as deep, so the decisions of guards Andrew and Aaron Harrison are especially intriguing and important. An NBA scout for one of the Eastern Conference's premier teams believes the choice is obvious.

"It'd be good for both of them to go back next year," said the scout, who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to discuss draft prospects. "That's what I'd advise them to do. I don't think anybody is really high on them."

Before the twins had ever played a college game, they were viewed as surefire first-round draft picks. Then a difficult regular season revealed flaws and raised questions. Then a redemptive postseason run showed their potential once more.

The belief in NBA circles is that the 6-foot-6 twin brothers remain genuinely torn, the scout said. One Eastern Conference general manager told him the twins' father, Aaron Sr., wanted his sons to declare for the draft, but a lukewarm response from the league has given the family some pause.

The scout, who followed UK closely all season, said that if the twins leave, his franchise would be unlikely to draft either of them. Many teams are intrigued by their size, he said, but there are questions about their speed, explosiveness and shooting ability.

"They've got to work on those things in the summer to better their chances," the scout said. "Right now they don't have that, so they're kind of average. They did help themselves in the tournament. Andrew moved up, kind of high second round or maybe late first. But before all of that, they weren't even in some teams' top 60."

Aaron Harrison Sr. isn't returning calls or text messages from reporters these days, and you can't really blame him. He has more to worry about than explaining to us what he's worried about.

But when I spoke to him last month following UK's run to the SEC tournament title game, he talked about how the stress of the NBA was getting to Andrew in particular. He told him to relax and stop thinking about the league. He assured him the family was financially stable and that there would be no harm in going back to school.

It's unclear if he was saying this to help clear his son's head — it certainly appeared to work — or if he believed going back was the preferred option.

Barring a stroke of luck, once the Harrisons leave Kentucky they might never be on the same team again. They've always been on the same team, and they love being on the same team, and they love each other.

After UK defeated Michigan to advance to the Final Four, someone asked Andrew what it meant to go through the experience with his brother. He paused and began to choke up before he answered.

"Means everything," he said.

It seems that the Harrison twins planned to go to the NBA — together — after this season because that had been the plan from the start. But the future can be fickle.

I would never fault either for chasing a dream, and I believe there is a place in the NBA for both of them. But to enter the draft without assurance of being a first-round pick might be an unnecessary risk. And there is nothing wrong with spending one more carefree year with your twin brother.